Photographic washing-tank.



N0. 633,8ls. Patented sept. 26, |899.

E. A.oossms. PHOTOGRAPHS WASHING TANK.

' (Applinstm Mod Jun' 19, 1899.)

(Nu IMM.)

Z951 5 B p1 4L 5 Q waag/3 UNITED VS'rar-nsf PATENT (hi-Fioreo EDWIN Af DoBiNsv, on'Nnw YORK, N. Y.

-PHloroe RAPHIC WASHING-TAN K.

SPECSIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,818, dated September 26, 1899.

^ Application nea June 19,1899'. stanno. 721,012. (No man.) Y

To all whom it my concern,.- I

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. DoB'BINs,^-a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have in vented an Improvement in Photographic Washing-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This improvementis especially designed for washing photographic prints and nexible.

films. Heretofore in washingsuch prints or films two or mei-chave been liable to adhere together, and hence the washing action has` not 'been uniform and the pictures and their paper or other foundation or the films havev Photographic frequently becomestained. plates have been received into supports and held vertical while water has dowed through the vessel containing such plates; but this has not been adapted for use with prints or pictures upon paper or other materials or iilms. A

' In the present improvement the prints are suspended from the top and the water is admitted to flow gradually downward over and between the pictures and to pass oft' from the bottom; but such water rises through a pipe as high as the topA of the suspended pictures, and for this reason the pictures remain immersed in water; but the fresh water supplied at the top gradually descends and carries with it the chemical substances that are washed oi the suspended pictures, and there is a-c'on-` stant and gradual supply of water from the top downward, and this not only acts to remove chemical substances tha-t are soluble fromlthe pictures, but it also tends to keep the pictures separate from one another. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the washing apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a ,plan of the same, partially in section; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing one of the suspending devices and a photographic print held thereby in a vertical position.

The vessel A is of any desired size or shape, having reference, of course, to the size of the pictures and the number that are to be washed. This vessel for convenience is rectangular and provided with anv escape-opening 2 at the bottom leading to'the pipe B,

which rises as high'ras it is desired to maintam water 1n the vessel A, and it is advanta-y geous to place a netting or strip of perforated `pended from the bars D in any I have represented these bars D as niet-al at 3 ove'i the escape-opening 2, so as to unify the escape of the water as 1n uch as possible. Ihe height of the discharge-pipe B should be sufticient to retain water in the vessel A toentirely cover the prints that are to be washed.

The prints are represented at C. They are upon paper or other exible material and susconvenient manner. tubes slotted on one side and each provided with an internal bar or strip 4c for retaining one edge of the prints inthe bars. I ind that if thebars D are made of tubes slotted longitudinally, so that one edge of the printcan be inserted in the tube-and the bar 4 thrust endwise into the bar- D, it holds the print firmly with very little paper, and these bars resting upon the ledges 5 and being below the water-line are where the prints will be thor= oughly washed by the water that circulates down through the distributer F and escapes by the opening 2 and dischargepipeB.

It will be seen that the water being supplied above the distributer .F passes uniformiy, or nearly so, down through the distributer F and washes the photographic prints thoroughly and escapes through the opening 2 and rising pipe B, and for this reason the action of the water is to keep the prints from coming into contact with each other and to constantly separate them one from the other, sov that thereis no liability for the prints to come into contact or be unequally operated upon by the washing-water. j

By this improvement the attendant can suspend the prints to be washed, turn on the water, and allow the apparatus to be self-operating-until the'prin'ts are washed, and they are easily4 removed from the washing vessel by lifting out the bars D, from which the' prints are suspended.

It will be apparent that lthe water may be supplied in any desired manner; but the perforated metal plate F, I nd a convenient Way for distributing the water passing) from the is made for large pictures it may be used for v smaller pictures, and two or more may be sus pended in line from the same bar or hanger.

The tanks are advantageously adapted to particular sizes of prints; but the tank may receive a greater or less number of pictures, according to its width.

It is preferable that the inlets for the water be so arranged in relation to the prints that the water flows in the direction of' the prints and not across them, so that the flow of the Water keeps the sheets separate. The perfo rated distributer-plate, however, renders the supply uniform at all places, and the direction of the current is downward and tends to keep the pictures separate.

The spout or lip 7, Where the Water flows ol, may be of any desired shape.

I claim as my inventionl. In a photograph print or film Washer, the combination With the vessel and the inlet and exit waterways, of devices for engaging the uppermost edges of the flexible prints or films and suspending the same as hanging therefrom, and means connected to the vessel for supporting the said suspending devices at their respective ends Within the vessel, sub stantially as specified.

2. In a photographic print or`lm Washer, the combination with the vessel and the inlet and exit waterways, of devices for engaging the uppermost edges of the flexible prints or films and suspending the same as hanging therefrom, and means connected to the vessel for supporting the said suspending devices at l their respective ends within the vessel, and means situated above the suspended prints or lms for evenly distributing and directing the Water upon the groups of prints or films, substantially as speciied.

3. In a photographic print or film washer, the combination with the vessel and the inlet and exit waterways, of means for suspending the flexible prints or lms vertically from one edge, said means comprising two devices coacting longitudinally and separably movable in relation to one another to receive and nip the edge of the print or film slipped between said parts, and means for supporting said suspending devices within the vessel, substantially as specified.

et. In a photographic print or film washer, the combination with the vessel and the inlet and exit waterways, of means forsuspending the flexible prints or films vertically from one edge, the said means comprising longitudinally-slotted tubes and rods of smaller diameter adapted to pass within the tubes and nip the inserted edge of the print or film, and means for supporting said suspending devices within the vessel, substantially as specilied.

Signed by me this 15th day of June, 189i).

EDWIN A. DOBBINS. lVitnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

